Articles
Murray Kinsella Irish-based freelance sports journalist
About Murray Kinsella
Murray is a freelance sports journalist based in Ireland. He has a strong interest in the technical aspects of rugby and his league of preference is the Top 14 in France.
Murray Kinsella's latest articles
A Rucking Revolution?FIJI SEVENS HEAD coach Ben Ryan published a number of intriguing tweets yesterday evening highlighting a technique which he believes has the game “in crisis”.
The former England Sevens boss has an issue with the rucking technique that, depending on where one is from, is referred to as a crocodile roll, tin opener, can opener, body roll, croc roll, alligator roll, gator roll, saddle roll or log roll.
Murray Kinsella Ireland vs Australia OverviewMurray Kinsella dissects the Ireland vs Australia test match. Delivering a breakdown that has real relevance to coaches and players around the world. We know you are enjoying Murray’s perspective and game understanding. Enjoy.
Maul resurgence as an attacking weaponTHE MAUL is enjoying a resurgence at the top levels of world rugby, to the point that it has become one of the key attacking weapons for teams who are increasingly focused on the maul as a means of amassing tries.
Analysis: Ireland's work at the breakdown vs the SpringboksJoe Schmidt’s coaching philosophy is strongly founded on winning the breakdown and ruck, so we’ve analysed his Ireland team’s winning performance against South Africa last weekend.
Our in-depth examination of every breakdown and ruck shows who is doing the hard work in this highly technical area.
Vermeulen set to be unleashed on the IrishIreland are taking on a world-class No. 8 in Duane Vermeulen on Saturday. Standing 6’ 4", weighing in at 118kg, Vermeulen is playing some of the best rugby of his life. Murray Kinsella goes in-depth to find out just why the Springbok back rower is one of the most destructive forwards on the planet.
A helping hand to steal possessionMurray Kinsella analyses the importance of the second player to the breakdown in securing turnover possession in the ruck. We see examples where Saracens’ Kelly Brown Ulster’s Franco van der Merwe and Louis Ludik provide stability and strength to the player stealing possession in the ruck.
Is the spiral kick becoming a rarity?Murray Kinsella recently spoke to Ronan O’Gara about the spiral kick, O’Gara “actually woke up the other night thinking about it. Who’s spiralling the ball now?” Is the spiral kick option becoming a rarity in the game with players not having the confidence to execute the skill under pressure?
Murray is the key man for MunsterMurray Kinsella takes a look at how Munster coaches Foley and Walsh are building a game plan around Conor Murray. In Munster’s recent win over Scarlets Murray’s organisation abilities and decision making were key in a remarkable 27-phase passage of play culminating in a try.
A closer look at the rucking rulesThe ruck is an interesting aspect of the game, and highlights the demands on referees at the top level.
With the speed of the modern game, and the fact that professional and amateur players will push the laws to breaking point to get an advantage, it’s certainly not an easy job.
Grenoble find French flair in a structured approachFrench rugby has always had something of an issue with structure. However, this season has seen something of a revolution in little old Grenoble, where the structured rugby being coached by Irishmen Bernard Jackman and Mike Prendergast has seen the club introduce their own brand of ‘French flair’.
